Irrevocable Oath
by Firesword
Summary: Revised and Extended. HPSS. Slash. Bound by a curse and taken as a prisoner, Severus could only lie helplessly on the bed and let Harry Potter care for him.
1. The Prisoner

**Fandom: **Harry Potter

**Fic Title:** Irrevocable Oath

**Author:** Firesword

**Disclaimer: **Harry Potter and its characters belong to JK Rowling. Just own the bit of muse.

**Genre: **Romance/Fantasy

**Summary: **HP/SS. Slash. Bound by a curse and taken as a prisoner, Severus could only lay helplessly on the bed and let Harry Potter care for him.

**Rating: **M (obviously rated thus for mature themes….)

**Warnings: **If you do not know already, this fic is of yaoi content, meaning homosexual love. If such a genre is not to your liking, please do not read. What else? Hmmmm...

Bits of angst, mystery, lime, hopefully not too much of a lemon, fluff, action & adventure, language….

**Author's Notes: **Even before I'd taken note of the reviewers' names, I'd clicked on the 'Delete Story' button. So forgive me! Anyways, there were some good reviews – which had pointed out the obvious 'rape' – which escaped me for some reason. So, I hope this new version – and very much extended – will be better.

**-oOOoOOo-**

_The man with the heart of stone._

_Or so he thinks of himself._

_The exterior may have hardened toward life,_

_Still, the interior is longing for something._

_Something warm. Something that is bright._

_No matter how much he tries to deny himself,_

_his soul is determined to reach out._

_His soul wants to be reached._

_But is there anyone willing?_

_Is there?_

**Irrevocable Oath**

**By Firesword**

_Chapter One: The Prisoner_

_Toink._

The sound seemed incredibly loud in his ears.

_Toink._

He snarled and cracked an eye open when the annoying sound came again.

_Toink._ Water dropped from the tap into the metallic sink. That meant only one thing.

Severus Snape would usually scowl menacingly - he was being kept here as a prisoner - but after three months had passed, he had grown curious instead.

_Swish._

_Thud._

Denied the freedom of movement, he could only move his head a little. Harry Potter, his face showing no emotion whatsoever, came to his side, and set the basin of water on the end table, a towel slung over his left shoulder. Then, propping him upright as he would to a doll, Harry started to undress him.

They had been doing this long enough for Severus to think of it as natural, and so had Harry. His movements were no longer hesitant or shy, like the first few times he had undertaken this task himself.

His hands moved about with a grace that Severus had just noticed. _It must come from flying_, Severus' mind suggested. Just like every part of his body, his hands were thin, lightly muscular, and very nimble. They were not gentle and not feminine. His fingertips were callused, and the unseen strength managed to speak for itself whenever Harry prodded his sometimes, abused body. Just then, Harry's fingers encountered a bump that should not have been there. Severus winced slightly at the pain. Harry must have felt him twitch because he frowned, and motioned at a floating candle to come closer. Right above his hip, was a blue-black bruise with its center coated with dried blood.

Severus watched as Harry's emerald eyes narrowed. The young man pulled at the towel hanging on his shoulder and dabbed a corner of it into the water. Then with more tenderness from than that Severus had expected, he wiped at the wound. The blood clot gradually flaked away bit by bit.

**_"Darrus glahk shahdur,"_ **Harry growled suddenly. Severus was certain that Harry was cursing in Parseltongue. Inconsequentially, he wondered if cursing in the strange language gave the wizard more satisfaction than cursing in the human tongue. He played the words in his mind. They sounded more guttural, more animalistic. It certainly sounded more bloodthirsty.

Harry had left him to go outside, but he returned several minutes later with something bulky on one hand and a bundle of cloth in another. The young wizard sat on the floor and as Severus looked on with amusement, started to grind several ingredients together. He had to admit that the brat was getting better in making a handy poultice. Of course, Severus was the cause of this frequent practice. _Some _Aurors couldn't just get by a day without poking sharp things into him.

The poultice was ready. Harry left it to stand while he resumed his previous task, which was to wash Severus. He carefully turned Severus onto his uninjured side and wiped his back with gentle strokes.

_Splish._

The water in the basin swished about as Harry rinsed the towel. There was a pause and he could almost taste the slight tension in the air. A hand rested on his bottom for a minute, long enough for Severus to know what Harry intended to do. Fingers came to part his cheeks, and then he felt the cool cloth slip between it. _Is my face red, I wonder?_ Severus felt his face warm at the touches. If he could cringe, he would have, when he felt the hot breaths of the other man near his spine. Harry's fingers spread him wider and they touched him experimentally.

Finally, he heard Harry's sigh of relief. Although mortified, Severus felt a little strange that Harry had cared enough to make sure he was not violated down there. Not after the first time. Seeing Harry angry was not something new, but Harry in a deadly rage was. Why he would be in a deadly rage over Severus being violated, piqued him.

Wiping done, Harry started applying the poultice to his bruised body. Then he did something that Severus had fervently wished for _anyone _to do. Turning him over to lie on his stomach, Harry began to work on his tired, aching and cramped body. When those strong, deft hands moved to work on his lower back, Severus nearly cried with relief. Only if he dared. Those hands warmed him, and comforted him (though his mind shied away from that observation), and he fell asleep, unaware of those hands leaving him and dressing him up half an hour later.

Several hours after, he woke up to an unpleasant numbness in his ear, as though someone had plugged something uncomfortable into it. Muttering under his breath, Severus tried to shake the damned thing away, and then stopped. He strained his ear and his eyes widened in shock when he realized he could hear the conversation from outside the room where he was held captive.

_What in the hell is that Gryffindor brat thinking of? _He exploded in the safe silence of his consciousness. Just then, cacophony erupted and he winced.

"Ouch! Somebody help!"

A high-pitched scream assaulted his hearing.

"Damned bug!"

"No! No, Arthur! Use fire!"

"What-! Fire? No!"

Sound of struggles and heavy swearing followed. "-tits!"

"Watch your language!"

A man whimpered softly.

"Fred!" Molly Weasley shrieked in horror. "Put that thing down!"

"But Mum! It's the only way!"

"Fred! Don't - _George_!" Molly's voice went up an octave or so. Severus crinkled his brows in distaste - the woman sounded like a banshee. A dull bell-like sound drowned all the other noises. It faded, and Severus picked up hushed murmurs.

"Got the blasted bug," George Weasley announced with satisfaction. "Owww!"

"Get a healer, George," Molly instructed. "You might have broken his hipbone."

"The pincer is still stuck inside, dear."

"Oh dear. Well, no help for it. The healer just have to do something to get it out."

"Is that thing poisonous?" Severus recognized Ronald Weasley's voice though it had settled into a deep baritone.

"No, thankfully."

"Pity," whispered someone else.

Severus heard the scuffles of feet, and they sounded like they were just beyond the door.

"Harry."

"Yeah?"

"We don't mean to interfere-"

"-but did you set that thing on Rat-face?"

"Maybe I did. Maybe I didn't."

There were some snorts of amusement.

"Remind us never to cross you."

"Huh."

"Can we ask why you did it though?"

"The usual."

"Oh."

"You know, I don't understand why they need to do that."

"I dunno. To keep his mind preoccupied while they rummage around I suppose."

"That's sick."

"Isn't it?"

The conversation stopped as the door opened and Harry entered. He paused for several moments after closing the door, his emerald eyes studying Severus with grave calmness. Then he crossed the distance and tugged the earplug away from his ear. He pocketed the Weasley twins' invention, stared at him again and left.

Severus brooded. Now, why did Harry do that?

**-oOOoOOo-**


	2. Inner Turmoils

_Chapter Two: Inner Turmoils _

He fiddled with the strand of string as he studied Severus' face. He could see the questions in the wizard's dark eyes, and he wanted to answer them, but stopped himself. After all, he had no idea why he had done such a thing. It could be compassion or perhaps, pity, but the way his stomach rolled about at the idea of someone doing _that_ to Severus, he knew it wasn't something simple. Sighing softly to himself, he walked toward the older man and pulled at the earplug. He gazed at Severus again as he kept the twins' invention in his pocket. Then he left, closing the door gently.

He stopped after walking several steps from the room, and glanced over his shoulder. Why was he having the feeling that he should go back there, and stay a little longer? Frowning, he shook he shook his head and cursed under his breath. Although his legs were quite reluctant to move, he managed to drag himself to where Hermione and Ron would be.

Perhaps it was coincidence, or fate, that he decided to walk past the kitchen to get into the drawing room instead of going the roundabout way.

"... there is nothing more to gain from him."

"So _they_ suggest that we should get rid of him?"

_That's Bill. _He froze. _What are they talking about? Who should we get rid of?_

"Did Tonks tell you this?" Bill demanded.

"No, Bill. She didn't. I..."

"Bloody hell, Remus. We _cannot_ allow this to happen."

"We shouldn't have allowed Harry to become attached to Severus," Remus spoke, sounding somewhat preoccupied.

"That is beside the point! We're talking about murder here. Even if that man deserved it, it isn't right!"

Harry jumped at the sound of a loud thump.

"And I'm not speaking up for Charlie. I'm not saying this just because he is with Draco Malfoy. Gods ... where did you get your source, Remus?"

"I cannot say," Remus mumbled apologetically.

"Fine. How did _they _plan to take him out?"

"Poison."

"That's low."

_Poison? _His throat went dry. Silently, he retraced his steps back to the hall. Seeing the dark brown door made him want to break it down, haul Severus out of bed and flee to somewhere safe. "But nowhere is safe now," he muttered to himself.

The hall was deserted and no one was in sight. _But that didn't mean I'm not being watched. _Moody was still with them, and only Merlin knew that nothing much could escape his senses. Swiftly, Harry cast a sigil of protection over the door. It was not much, but at least it would warn him in the future of Severus' visitors. Then he took the extended way into the drawing room, and as he expected, Ron and Hermione were researching.

"I'm going up to the library to look for something. You want me to get more references, Hermione?"

"What? Oh, yes."

Although he was filled with uneasiness at the unexpected information earlier, he was glad that he was able to smile at Hermione. The moment he had offered to get books for her, she had quickly grabbed a parchment from under a paperweight and waved it at him.

"Thank you, Harry." Hermione beamed at him. "Oh, be sure to note their shelves. There may be some interesting books for me to look through."

"Let's hope we find something before that happens," Ron muttered. "I don't want to get any more confused than I am now."

**-oOOoOOo-**


	3. The Unthinkable

_Chapter Three: The Unthinkable_

Almost a fortnight had passed when Severus was awakened by soft sniffles. He felt a bit incredulous at the idea of someone using this room to cry. _Is it the Weasley girl crying for her unreachable dream? Or is it Granger, crying because of one dense Weasley?_

"**_Shakar zur naal_**!"

That didn't leave any room for questions. There was no doubt - after listening to more of those deep hisses that gave one the image of snakes twining round and around a person's neck, the person that was crying in the room was none other than Harry. The Parselmouth snarled some more and then he choked on his tears. Severus could tell that he was trying his best to keep his sobs muffled. Or rather, Harry was trying to swallow them back. Time passed.

_When is he going to stop? _Severus feigned sleep throughout, but that was taking quite a bit of effort to keep it up.

Harry sighed; he seemed to have grown weary of crying. A couple more sniffles and then his robes rustled softly as he stood up. Severus, pretending to snore softly, thought that he was going to leave but he didn't.

Fingers touched his shoulder, like a tender zephyr blowing across a plain. They fluttered to his neck and he had to gather all of his will _not _to respond to that touch. When the long digits gently thrust into his hair, Severus nearly squeaked in surprise. Excluding his mother, no other hand had ever done that to him before! Harry sighed again. To Severus' relief, he left.

_Great Slytherin ... what in the hell was that for?_

It was just two days after the crying incident. Harry was in the room with a girl in the unearthly hours of dawn. Severus was beyond appalled. He did not care if it exposed his secret, but he will _not_ have a pair of teenagers rutting with him present!

His eye ticked in anger. _How dare he!_ There was no candle to illuminate the room. He knew it was Harry - he had been with him long enough to recognize the young man's presence, but who was the girl? She was obviously distressed about being here.

"Stop that. I just need a favor from you."

"But I can't!"

_Oh. It's the Granger girl. _Severus pursed his lips. _What is going on? Is the brat forcing himself on her?_

"Hermione, are you going to help me or not?" Harry hissed angrily. "If you don't want to then fine! I'm still going to do this! Without your help!"

"You can't! You don't know how to write those runes!" Hermione, through her tears, challenged him.

"I studied!"

Finally, Harry called for some light. Godric's sword was in his hand. Severus caught Granger staring at him, her eyes almost pleading, as though willing him to stop the nonsense Harry was planning. Severus did not want them to know that he still had the power of speech. He remained silent and stared up at Harry, demanding with his eyes as to what the brat was going to do.

Harry slashed his palm. For a minor, self-inflicted injury, he showed signs of weaknesses almost immediately. With a shaking hand, Harry laid the sword on the empty surface of the end table. Then he knelt beside the bed.

"All right, all right! I'll help!" Granger cried softly. "God, Harry! Are you trying to kill yourself? How can you even write a rune when you're so weak? Write it wrong, the spell's going to backlash at you!" she scolded.

_What spell? _A chill descended on Severus. Granger took his left arm and rolled his sleeve up. Her eyes widened, as though surprised to see the Dark Mark on his forearm faint, barely noticeable.

"Hurry up," Harry muttered.

"Don't rush me, idiot!" Granger's lips trembled. She took a deep breath and dabbed her fingers at the spilling blood.

Harry muttered a chant as she wrote an incantation along his forearm:

_"I will see to his safety; Severus Snape's safety. I will see to it that he will not be killed needlessly."_

He chanted it three times, and Granger fulfilled her role as the witness.

"I will hold you to your vow." Ritual concluded, she sobbed, "Why are you doing this, Harry? Why?"

Apparently, Harry had discovered that someone within the group was considering eliminating their primary source of information. Severus was not too surprised at that. Having worked for someone like Voldemort had taught him to expect such things.

"I don't care if it's for security reasons or whatever stuff they say it is, but I will _not_ have him murdered."

Severus stared blankly at the two of them. He opened his mouth as though to speak but close it at the fierce, predator-like stare from Harry.

_Why does he care? _That was all he could think of when they finally left him alone.

**-oOOoOOo-**


	4. Rash Impulse

_Chapter Four: Rash Impulse_

He was putting up an act. Severus stared up at him with incomprehension, but Harry managed to look stern with an unwavering gaze, despite the fact that he felt as though he would collapse at any time. The silence in the room stretched to an uncomfortable degree, and Harry took the chance to leave and let Severus wonder.

Hermione followed him anxiously, but instead of returning to his bed, he went up to the balcony instead.

"Harry. You should go back to bed. Get some sleep. We have work to do later. You need your rest." Hermione tugged at his arm, but he shook his head wearily.

He threw himself at the armchair and exhaled loudly. _The sword's heavy, _he thought as he laid it across his lap. Strangely, it felt heavier ever since he had taken the oath, as though reminding him of the dire consequences should he renege on his vow. He leaned back. _Feels good. _He grew drowsy as his body took the comfort of the padded back.

"Why?" Hermione whispered. Harry did not open his eyes to look at her. "Why are you going to such lengths to keep him safe?"

"I don't know."

"Harry, you can't keep on doing things without knowing why you're doing it. This oath you had taken, is active for as long as you're alive. Don't you think it's selfish, that you had gotten him involved?"

Harry knew she had a point. He maintained his silence, though his conscience began to scream at him for his impulsiveness.

"Is it because you pity him, Harry? Is that why your attitude toward him has changed?" Hermione asked softly. "He is a criminal – he killed Professor Dumbledore. Why are you defending him now?"

"Because he is defenseless. I may have ... killed ... but ... I –"

The sky was lightening. Harry turned his head just as the first rays of the sun lit up the world. Emerald eyes flickered at the play of radiance.

"I want to protect him. It's just the kind of thing I would do, right?"

Hermione was quiet for a while. Harry did not say anything else. He had never gotten up early to watch the sun rise in a long time. Nostalgia hit him as he remembered a view of Hogwarts washed in morning light.

"Have you ... fallen for him?"

His stomach flipped and for an instant, he could not breathe. He dredged up a faint smile. "Is that possible, Hermione? Because I don't know. What islove?" His friend did not answer him.


	5. The Cold, The Warmth

_Chapter Five: The Cold, The Warmth_

The night was freezing cold. The thin blanket was not enough to keep him warm. For a room without a window, it was peculiarly drafty. If that was not bad enough, Harry had not been taking care of him for almost two weeks, and he was itching to get into a bath. A real bath - not just the usual wiping down with a towel. He could hear the clock in the hall chime eleven when Harry came in. Severus' eyes brightened at the promising scene.

He must have shocked the brat with his anticipatory expression because Harry was staring at him with a stupefied look. When was the last time that had happened? _Probably during his sixth year in school..._ Then Harry recollected himself, and smiled slightly.

"No one bothered to clean you properly, did they?" Harry sighed. "Well, it's a full bath tonight." He put the armload of towels, robes, brush, and soap on the bed. "We'll wait for the water to heat up first." He disappeared into the bathroom.

When he returned, he began telling Severus of the last two weeks' activities. Unwise decision, to divulge such information to an enemy, even if a curse was laid on said enemy, Severus had thought. Then Harry slipped in some news that rocked and jumbled his thoughts into confusion.

_Charlie Weasley and Draco had ... what?_

"Can't get Mrs. Weasley to calm down," Harry said with a slight smile. "The others can't seem to find the courage to protest, but maybe that's because Bill was quite supportive of the coupling. And Charlie's Zerina gets along with Malfoy very well."

Severus sat up with Harry's help and limply held out his arms as Harry removed his shirt.

"So you can set your mind at ease, about Malfoy at least. Charlie isn't going to let him come to any harm." Harry paused, his eyes distant in thought. "I wonder how Lucius Malfoy would react to the news when he hears it."

_He'll be absolutely, spitting livid, _Severus thought with a wince.

"Is he going to come after you? For letting the seduction turn into a serious coupling?"

_Wipe off that grin, you brat! _Severus looked at him with an unfriendly stare. Harry chuckled and mumbled an apology. Although Severus went stiff with amazement, Harry did not notice it as they made their way into the bathroom.

"You smell," Harry observed in an annoyingly clinical tone.

_Well, excuse me!_ Affronted black eyes stared deeply into amused green ones.

"Sorry," Harry apologized again, in that somewhat affectionate tone he had used earlier.

_Had we gotten so close that he is warming to me?_ Severus thought in bewilderment. _Why would he? _Then he noticed that Harry was not wearing anything. The other wizard seemed to notice his attention and he shrugged.

"I need a bath too."

_How convenient. _He managed to lift his eyebrow, and Harry cocked his own in response. After a while, the young man snorted and turned around.

Obsidian eyes rested upon his youthful back and gazed on as shoulderblades writhed when Harry reached up to take hold of the showerhead. He heard Harry work on the tap and water spurted forth from the equipment.

"It's warm enough," Harry commented. He caught Severus' eye and warned. "Close your eyes. I'll start with your head." He brought the showerhead over. "And hold your breath a little!"

Severus did both, and tilted his face upward slightly.

_Patter. Patter._

Droplets of water rained comfortingly down his face. _Ah._ It felt good to be washed. Fingers worked on his hair, making sure it was completely wet, and then the showerhead sprayed over his neck, back, and chest. Harry made certain that water had touched every crook and nook of his body before shampooing his hair. He was not gentle – he put up quite a vigorous massage that Severus felt his scalp turn slightly sore.

"Doing this for your own good," Harry muttered. "Have to get the grease off, and it won't itch as much, eh?"

Severus simply sighed. For some reason, when Harry began to lather soap on his body, he started to feel ... warm. The sensation prickled a warning. Try as he might, he heated up when Harry soaped him _there_. He cursed mentally as he saw Harry's eyebrows perked up with interest. _He noticed!_ Severus groaned inwardly. Green eyes lifted and Severus saw a flicker of amusement there. Quickly, he turned away, ashamed that _this_ had to happen now. Before the insufferable brat, Harry Potter.

"Well, _this_ makes cleaning easier," Harry said dryly.

He growled low, but Harry merely chuckled. _Why isn't he embarrassed? _Severus demanded. At least Harry was serious about cleaning him up, but damn if those touches did not arouse him more. The fingers left him, and Harry knelt on the floor, seemingly oblivious to the blatant erection before him as he scrubbed Severus' legs and feet. It annoyed the obsidian-eyed wizard that Harry was not having a similar problem. Harry stood up and circled him, this time to soap his back and bottom.

"Don't be startled all right? I'm going to work on your armpits."

He colored. Thanks to the paralysis curse, he would not be flailing around. _But it will still tickle! _His mind screamed. Severus swallowed the lump of nervousness in his throat.

"Ready?" Harry lifted his right arm. "I'm going to start."

Severus squeezed his eyes shut. He fidgeted several times but he managed to keep his expression calm. If he could have, he would have stamped on the brat's foot for torturing him in this manner.

_Slide._

Harry's hand slipped down his side, and the fingers rested on his hipbone. "You don't seem to have any new bruises," Harry said lightly, too lightly that Severus tensed with uneasiness.

_Could he have noticed?_

A puff of warm breath ghosted over his shoulder. "Snape?" Harry called him in a soft voice. "If you want, I can take care of that for you." The proposal sent the blood raging in his veins, but stubbornly, Severus shook his head a little. "Okay." Strangely, Harry did not move to stand before him. Instead, he had summoned the showerhead to him.

"Ugh..." The groan that escaped from his throat was totally involuntary. His erection would still not dwindle. The rain of water stopped.

"Snape?"

_Don't do anything. _Severus prayed fervently. _Don't do anything. _He swallowed when he saw Harry's hand move closer. Then he cried out sharply when Harry plucked at a pubic hair. Strangely, his body lost interest. It should have stimulated him further, but perhaps, he had not expected the sharp pain.

Harry's face came around and he glared at the wizard's sheepish expression. "Sorry ... but it worked, right?" The young man grinned and turned on the shower once more.

_You damned brat. _Severus glowered. Maybe it was because of that Harry did not look at him as he was drying Severus, which had exasperated the older wizard all the more. Their eyes met quite by accident as Harry pulled up a blanket over him. Severus arched his eyebrow, and the young man blushed. The awkward tension between them disappeared.

"I'll get a heater. Do you want another blanket?" Harry asked thoughtfully. Since he was asking...

Severus gave him a discernible nod. He had dozed off in the time Harry had gone off to get the extra things to make him more comfortable in bed. He woke to the feeling of fabric enveloping his right foot. Muzzily, he opened his eyes and saw Harry tug a sock to cover his foot properly.

_Am I a prisoner here or an invalid?_

"Don't get smart," Harry muttered. Severus jerked.

How had he read him so accurately?

"Your sardonic expression gave you away," Harry answered his unspoken question. Severus managed a glare to cover his discomfort. The young man patted his feet when they were both enveloped with comfortable, warm socks. "Are you okay? Still cold? Or is it too warm?" Severus shook his head at the questions.

Harry suddenly fell quiet, and Severus studied him with a thoughtful look. It seemed that the other wizard wanted to speak, but indecisiveness stalled him.

**-oOOoOOo-**


	6. Offerings

_Chapter Six: Offerings_

It was not as though he was up to breaching the topic – about what he did three weeks ago – but he had not been with Severus for two weeks. He wanted to stay a little longer, but he needed a valid excuse to do so. He stared at Severus' covered feet for several seconds, before lifting his eyes to meet the inquiring gaze. He opened his mouth to speak, but then, he paled, realizing that he really didn't know what to do in order to stay. His shoulders slumped a little in defeat and he sighed softly. Mustering up a faint smile, he asked Severus if there was anything else he could do.

When Severus nodded, Harry blinked, as though uncertain that he had seen it. Taken by surprise, he gaped at the older wizard before asking. "Uh ... what is it?"

He felt so tiny like a confused child. The hair at the back of his neck rose at Severus' annoyed expression. Harry blushed. Although Severus had not spoken using his voice, Harry could almost figure out what the wizard was going to say.

_"Stop being an idiot. I cannot speak or has that escaped you?"_

"Sorry," he apologized. He paused to think. "Are you hungry? Thirsty?" Severus shook his head. "No?" Harry gingerly sat on the edge of the bed. "You want more news about the happenings at the Ministry?"

Severus snorted derisively, informing Harry that he could care less about the Ministry.

Harry could not help but smile just as sardonically. "Okay. So you don't want to hear any gossips or rumors." He tilted his head to the side. "Does it have to do with something outside of this room? No? Then ... is it you?" Curiosity sparked inside him. "Oh." He tapped his finger against his lips in thought. Then he groaned when he figured out the obvious.

No one had cared for Severus decently while he was away on Order business. They had not bothered to bathe him, much less see to it that he was comfortable.

"You ... want a massage?" he asked in a small voice. "Oh…." He smiled. "I should have thought of that straightaway." He got up and went to the small dresser, getting a bottle of oil from one of its drawers. "Sorry, Severus, but I'd have to disrobe you for this. Okay?" The Potions master responded with a roll of his eyes.

He set the small bottle on the end table, and then turned to help Severus up. Harry did not waste time – he untied the knot holding the sleeping robe together and pulled it off Severus' body. Before his eyes could settle to staring, he gently rolled the older man over to lie on his stomach. Then he repositioned the pillow and asked Severus if he was all right. A slight nod and Harry went to work.

The aromatic scent of the massage oil suffused into the air, but it was not strong, nor was it cloying. Harry lathered it over Severus' back, noting his strong shoulders and some scars near the side. Pouring some oil onto his palm, he placed the bottle back on the table. Then he rubbed his hands together to warm it before beginning on Severus' neck. Rather absently, he gathered the long, black hair and pushed it to rest on the left. He studied Severus' face as his hands moved.

His heart pounded in his chest, and Harry found that odd. Something about Severus' calm expression, the way his eyelashes fluttered over his closed eyes, made Harry feel strange. There were no hard questions, no arguments, for which he was grateful. It was a respite from problem solving, and from thinking too much about Voldemort.

The sensation of his fingers running over warm skin, comforted him. He rarely had the opportunity to do something like this – to turn off his mind, and offer pleasure to someone. Harry caught himself, and blushed at his own thought. He peered at Severus, who appeared to be dozing.

"Uhmmmm ... do you want me to work your hips as well?"

Severus opened his eyes and stared at him before nodding his assent.

"Well ... I'm not sure if I should straddle you..." He looked at Severus worriedly. Then his eyes widened when Severus snorted, rolled his eyes in that specific manner (which Harry found both annoying and alluring), and promptly shut them, pretending to doze. "If you're sure..."

Harry crawled up on the bed and swung his leg over. Slowly, he straddled the back of the man's thighs.

"Is this all right?" Using a bit of his own weight, he pressed his thumbs against Severus' lumbar. He had not expected the sigh of pleasure or the feeling of muscles relaxing further under his hands. For some reason, he really felt good.

An hour or so must have passed. He already had Severus laid on his back. His hands were aching, and Severus was asleep. However, just as he slipped the sock back onto Severus' foot, the wizard jerked awake.

"Sorry ... did I wake you?"

The stare that Severus was giving him unnerved him. He was used to seeing those eyes glaring at him one way or another, but to have them looking at him sleepily, somewhat trustingly…. He could not breathe, so transfixed by the gaze. He could not stand it any longer. Reaching up, he threaded his fingers into Severus' black hair, and lovingly combed it several times. The older man did not change his expression, as though content with what Harry was doing.

"Severus." He leaned over, and brushed his lips over Severus' brow before planting a gentle kiss on a cheek. Swept by emotion, he never noticed that he had called Severus by his name twice. His heart felt tight but he weathered it as he rested his cheek on Severus' forehead. His fingers brushed the man's face lightly repeatedly, and he stayed until the wizard fell asleep.

**-oOOoOOo-**


	7. The Attempt

_Chapter Seven: The Attempt_

Thursdays. Thursdays bored Severus. He muttered something dark under his breath and relaxed his expression. All morning, he had been fed a potion which kept his subconscious at bay, and his mind was made open for the perusal of the Aurors, who were also members of the Order. Meade, the Auror known as Rat-face by Harry and his friends, was not present during the silent interrogation. Also, for some reason, Shacklebolt had been very, very careful with him. The probing in his mind had seemed very wary that morning, as though the Auror did not want to stumble across anything that was not important to his 'research'.

Just before lunch, Harry had sneaked in a cup of hot chocolate for him. The wizard had stirred it up for him to cool it off, and had made him drink it, without a by-your-leave. He had given Severus an odd look before leaving.

The hot drink was good for him. It erased the tense feeling inside his mind, and little by little, the components of the beverage induced him to sleep. He slept lightly, however. He was aware of someone coming in to place his meal on the end table. Ginny Weasley thought he was sleeping, and so Severus saw the look of hatred she shot at him as she left.

_I'm not surprised but ... that look seemed quite personal, didn't it?_

Barely ten minutes had passed when Harry came into the room, looking a little annoyed. "I know I can't trust anyone else ... but she's carrying this too far." He grumbled softly to himself. Despite his black mood, his hands touched Severus with kindness as he helped the older man sit up. The sensation brought back memories, and Severus was careful not to show it. Instead of sitting on the stool which he normally use, Harry sat on the bed next to Severus. "The cream soup first, all right?" He took a spoonful of it first. Then he waited.

Nothing seemed to happen, and Severus waited expectantly. Harry did not start feeding him, however. He placed the soup back on its tray and turned away without looking at Severus. He walked toward the door and opened it. Just as Severus caught a glimpse of the white hall, Harry suddenly choked and collapsed on the floor.

There were shouts. The first to reach Harry was Granger. Severus, sitting immobile on the bed, stared as Harry clutched at the girl's collar and whispered at her with a very urgent look in his eyes.

_"Ronald!"_ Granger's voice soared commandingly. Her light, hazel eyes flashed with anger.

"Stand guard. Don't let anyone come in, and don't let anyone touch Snape's food!"

Ronald Weasley, his face white, just nodded tightly and drew out his wand. He positioned himself at the door, his stance that of guarding. He blocked Severus' view, denying him the knowledge what was happening to his caretaker.

_Damn._ An hour had passed. The thick-headed Weasley had not even think of putting him into a more comfortable position. He sighed, resigned to his sitting position. His eyes flitted over to watch the dishes on the end table. _It is entirely possible that the poison is already worn down by the heat. Even if Granger decides to investigate, it will not be possible to discern the nature of poison. _The sound of a female voice muttering urgently at the door pulled him away from his inner thoughts.

"-what are you trying to say?" Ron Weasley's shoulders bunched up in anger. "Ginny? How can Snape force Harry to eat? That's impossible and you know it! He's paralyzed - how in the hell can he shove food into his mouth?"

"Why did Harry-"

"Get out of my sight."

The girl Weasley was interrupted by a cold, deadly voice. Just then, Granger pushed her way into the room, with the elegant Fleur Delacour trailing behind her. Both were business-like as they examined the tampered lunch.

"Mere _araceae _poizoning," Delacour muttered after a while.

_Dumbcane? _Severus' heart started beating fast. _Is he all right?_

"I will inform ze healer immediately."

"Thank you." Granger nodded tightly. Once the half-Veela witch left, Granger turned to him, her expression slowly crumpling as she steadied him and lifted the propped pillows from behind him.

"Why is he doing this for you?" Granger wailed softly. Her eyes, always earnest and bright, were dark with pain. "Why?"

He just looked up at her with a frown. _I cannot answer that. _Granger continued to make sure he was settled in properly on the bed. Then she let out a soft gasp. Severus looked down; she was staring at his feet, which were covered with socks. She stood motionless, her frozen posture comical in his eyes. When she glanced over her shoulder, her expression was troubled.

"Ron, dispose that thing, will you?" She sank down on the stool heavily, her eyes following the movements of the tall redhead.

"All right. You going to stay here?"

"Yes."

"Oh. Okay."

Weasley watched after him when Granger left, but not for too long. She returned, carrying a tray of food and looking very apologetic.

"It isn't much. Just something instant ... out of a can." She looked very sheepish in Severus' opinion.

"Harry!" Weasley yelped. "What in the hell are you doing? You're not supposed to be up walking around!" Despite that, Weasley helped Harry into the room.

"He doesn't like curry much," Harry said in a raspy voice as he sat down on the bed. Without another word, he took the tray from Granger's hands. The witch stared at him with wide eyes, as though not believing the sight. "Help him to sit up, will you?"

"Harry," Granger started, "go back to bed. I'll feed him."

"No," Harry said firmly. "I'm not going to leave him. Besides, feeding him is my responsibility."

"Harry."

"They couldn't do it indirectly. They're bound to do it the other way sooner or later," Harry said flatly. "Open your mouth," he instructed Severus icily and fed him.

Several hours passed, and day turned into night. This Thursday night, things were more chaotic than usual. Severus did not know the exact details of the poisoning. He learned that someone had instigated the girl Weasley to carry out the deed, much to the disappointment of her family. Remus Lupin, however, was furious. His reaction surprised Severus a little. The werewolf had always been mild-tempered, always reasonable, and rarely flared. Not tonight, after he had discovered about the incident.

"Uhmmm ... Remus, please calm down."

That voice tugged at his memories. Who was it? From his sitting position, he could not tell who was the owner.

"That's Charlie," Weasley answered.

_The dragon keeper? Then ... Draco..._ At the thought, his silver-haired godson appeared. His eyes were steely grey, and his hands were shaking.

"Severus?" He crossed the room, ignoring Weasley's weak protests, and flung his arms around Severus. "I don't understand," he whispered into his ear. "Potter was testing your food all this time? Why?"

The older man shook his head, indicating that he himself did not know the reason. The commotion outside grew calm, and the company broke up. When Harry returned to his side, Draco stepped away automatically. Harry's face was pale and he was shivering tremendously.

"I'm going to stay with you tonight," Harry said wearily.

Severus lifted an eyebrow in inquiry.

Instead of answering his question, Harry continued, "We're sharing the bed."

"Huh?" Draco stared at him, and then at his peer, confused.

_Share the bed? You must be mad. _Severus gave Harry a flat stare.

"I've made up my mind," Harry muttered. That said he actually lifted Severus off the mattress and set him down on the farther side. He panted loudly with exertion and sat next to Severus.

"Hermione?"

"I'm staying too. Harry's in no condition to play guard."

"What?"

He was not paying attention to them, but to the young man who was lying beside him, gasping for breath. His emerald eyes were unfocused, and they kept flickering from brilliant green to muddy green. It was perhaps in his tiredness that his head lolled slightly to the side, so that it rested against Severus' shoulder. Harry's face was close. So, very close. Severus was aware that the room had suddenly gone quiet, as though they had noticed that _he_ was staring at Harry.

"Oh, fine!" Ronald Weasley declared, breaking the silence before stomping out of the room.

Draco looked as though he wanted to drag Harry out of the bed by the hair. _Like father, like son. The two of them have the same sort of temperament, _Severus observed. At the slight shake of his head, the wordless signal that he should leave the matter - in this case, Harry - alone, Draco sighed.

"What are you doing?" Tonks stood in the doorway and stared at Draco in disapproval.

"I'm staying put," Draco said with determination. "This is a cell, isn't it? It's not going to make any difference. I'm already not able to use magic. _They _are hardly in any danger, right?" The rest came out bitter.

"It's all right, for now. Let him stay."

"It's not wise."

"This is not a prison managed by the Ministry." Remus' tone was hard.

_Is the sun going to rise from the west tomorrow?_

"Uh, excuse me, Remus."

"Oh. Sorry, Ron."

Severus lifted his gaze in time to see Weasley drag a mattress into the room.

"Ron, what are you doing?" Granger's voice was torn between amusement and exasperation.

"Well, if you're going to stay here, so am I!" Weasley grated. "I don't care if I've been left out of some secret, but I'm not leaving you here alone."

"Charlie, you too?" Granger asked nervously. The dragon keeper was making himself comfortable beyond the doorway.

"I'm just protecting my mate."

Silence fell. Severus turned to look at the face close to his, and his eyes roamed the calm features of the young wizard. Harry was asleep, his glasses slightly askew in his prone position. Granger came to peek at them. She smiled to see Harry and sighing, she carefully removed his glasses from his face and set it on the end table.

"Let's get some rest."

The candles vanished. Light from the hall dimmed before blacking out completely.

"Ron, give me more room."

"Ouch."

"No funny business, you two," Charlie Weasley warned his brother and Granger.

"Don't you mean yourself and the ferret?"

"Shut up."

Everyone was intent on resting. In the darkness, he could not see Harry, just the warmth of his body. The soft sounds as he inhaled and exhaled. The quiet pounding of his heart. Then, in the darkness, lips pressed softly against his. Severus closed his eyes, and tried to hold on to the searing warmth. A small part of him wondered at the change of attitude. For most part of the day, Harry had been ill-tempered and cold, but now ... he was warm. Harry drew back, and Severus felt a pang of loss. The air beside him felt empty.

Soft hair brushed across his cheek, and Severus took the chance to rub against it a little. He was all too aware that this was uncharacteristic of him, but there was no denying his heart. It shamed him, but he still wanted the warming sensation to continue. The lips came back, this time pressed against his ear.

"Malfoy, what in the hell are you doing? Go back to your space!"

"Shut up, Weasel."

"Draco, love. Ignore him. Come here."

"_Charlie!_"

"I'm sorry." The whisper was very soft. "I'm sorry," Harry whispered again, at the same time Hermione spoke sharply to the three other wizards.

He did not know why he was doing it, but there was not any good reason why he should not. He moved his head again, and parted his lips. His tongue flickered out, and finally met flesh. Harry jumped at the touch. Then they kissed softly, chastely.

It was the first time. Severus fell asleep with warmth against his side and a sense of closeness to someone. Cheek against hair, fingers slightly curled around a set of others. Deep steady breaths. The night deepened.

**-oOOoOOo-**


	8. Standing His Ground

_Chapter Eight: Standing His Ground_

Harry listened to Severus' slow, steady breathing, and finally allowed himself to relax. He sighed with relief, and squeezed the hand that lay within his gently. He took some time to examine himself, especially his thoughts. Now that the moment of immediate danger had passed, his mind was quiet.

He grew grim. Ginny had been helping someone to do the deed. He did not want to feel this way, but feelings of hatred were slowly blooming. Passing a hand to his face, he took several deep breaths, and concentrated his thoughts on Severus instead. He had not straightened out his feelings about the Potions master. He did not want to think that it was love – it would mean that he was hoping for something that Severus Snape would be reluctant to give. _I suppose I do care for him. _Biting his lip, he sifted through his memories. _Would a friend feel this way for another? Gods ... I don't know. _He inevitably thought about Ginny. There was no help for it, he guessed, as she had been his girlfriend.

_It's part of growing up. She's attractive. She's brilliant too. But…. _He turned his head and kissed the edge of Severus' shoulder. The attraction to her had not last. He sighed wearily. He should hate Severus. The man had been quite a source of anger when he was in school. He had watched him kill Professor Dumbledore. However, two weeks after Severus and Draco's capture, he had taken it upon himself to watch the older wizard. The more he had spent time in this room, the faster his negative feelings and thoughts of the man had faded. _It must have helped that he was keeping quiet all this while. I'm sure it'd be different if he'd lashed out at me verbally. _He caressed a part of Severus' hand with his thumb. _Why did I start feeling for him?_

He sighed again, deciding that 'love' was too hard a subject to make sense of at the moment. He went to sleep, but slept lightly. He woke before Hermione did, and spent some time touching the side of Severus' face.

"Have you fallen for him, Harry?" Hermione asked him quietly when she came to check on him.

"I don't know," he answered just as softly. "Maybe. I don't know if it's love that I'm feeling."

"I guess you care for him anyway." Hermione was not expecting a reply. "Try not to talk so much for a day or two. Give your throat a rest, and get some sleep, Harry. I won't let anything happen to you two."

Despite her advice, he remained awake. Most of the people sleeping in the small room were up by the time the grandfather clock out in the hall chimed seven. While Charlie left to take care of his duties, Draco remained, and stared at him and Severus with a sour expression. Harry sympathized with the silver-haired wizard – he seemed at a lost.

"Ron, go get the books we were studying and bring them down," Hermione instructed crisply when she stepped out of the bathroom. "I'll get breakfast."

Harry looked at Severus and cocked his head to one side with an inquiring look. "I'll take you to the bathroom." He saw the pair of black eyes flicker to watch Draco, who appeared dumbstruck by Harry's offer. Severus' cheeks colored a bit but still, he nodded.

Normally, Harry could not be bothered to perform a Lightening charm on Severus, but with him as weak as he was, he probably could not handle Severus's true weight. Draco stared on as Harry lifted Severus and made his way to the washroom.

Breakfast was waiting for them when they were done. Harry tested the toast and tea first, ignoring Hermione's exasperated sigh. When he deemed it was safe to eat, he fed Severus carefully. Like curry, Severus was not that fond of crispy toasts, but he liked freshly baked bread.

"You're not going to do anything but sleep and rest, Harry," Hermione said firmly when he happened to flip through her notes. "Don't worry about us."

He nodded and obediently climbed into the bed. Severus' eyes were on him as he settled into the mattress. "Someone move him once in a while, if he gets tired," he mumbled. Exhaustion was catching up with him. His vision blurred even before he removed his glasses. Just before he went to sleep, he heard Draco ask,

"You do all of this for him? Why?"

That question remained unanswered.

It took Harry three days to recover from the poisoning. It was after he had sat in a discussion – Charlie had informed them that something strange had happened to Hogwarts – that he had boldly took some of his important possessions and moved into the room below.

"Harry, you're joking right?" Ron tried to stop him when he saw him carry Hedwig's portable perch into the room. "I mean ... you don't have to overdo it." Harry merely smiled.

At dinner, Molly questioned him anxiously.

"I'll be fine."

He ought to know that his friends would not take the change easily, but he grew irritated when Hermione and Ron ensured that his time – and free time – was fully utilized. He noticed that Severus would look at him long and hard, but there were plenty of things preventing him from having a one-on-one discussion with the Potions master.

**-oOOoOOo-**


	9. The Belated Discussion

_Warning: Major lime imminent..._

_Chapter Nine: The Belated Discussion_

Ever since the poisoning incident, Severus was spared from any further puzzling activities. When Harry had recovered from the effects of the poison, Draco had been forced to go back to his holding room. Despite the warnings of others, Charlie Weasley was determined to be with him whenever he could. Despite the protests of those who cared for him, Harry stubbornly moved into Severus' cell.

"And why not?" Harry had asked, his voice sarcastic. "I'm taking care of you." Severus had just stared on with disapproval.

It was a mask to hide his confused feelings. He questioned many things such as: 'Why did he kiss me?' and 'What are his motives?' The idea that Harry might simply be in love with him was a ridiculous notion. He wanted to think that it was something else. _Probably is,_ Severus told himself.

He wanted to ask the emerald-eyed brat those nagging questions, but with Granger and Weasley constantly being around him, he could not. Then the opportunity came, in a way Severus had least expected it.

It had been a normal day. Nothing out of the ordinary happened. Two hours after supper, Harry came into his room. Things began to get a bit odd then. Granger was trailing behind him, but he had turned around, obviously denying her entry by bracing his hand on the doorframe.

"All right, Harry. What is this supposed to mean?" Granger asked, her voice exasperated.

"We need some privacy." Harry shrugged.

"What?" Granger's eyes went impossible wide. "Are you pulling my leg?" She looked uncertain, however.

"Hmmmm ... depends on what you think I'm joking about," Harry chuckled.

"Harry, don't you dare try anything silly."

"Don't worry, Hermione. I'm not going to kill myself." Harry shook his head. "Wake me up at five."

"Okay." Granger sounded very reluctant.

The wizard closed the door, locked it, and sealed it with several charms. Then he added another spell to ensure privacy - no one from the outside would be able to eavesdrop. Harry disappeared into the bathroom immediately, and emerged with a basin of water, towel slung over his shoulder.

"You've been giving me weird looks for the past eight days," Harry said conversationally as he pulled Severus into a sitting position. "What's bothering you?"

Severus frowned a little. Was Harry expecting him to answer? The young wizard undressed him, and folded the articles of clothing neatly, piece by piece. He grabbed the towel and dampened it with water. He started wiping Severus' body.

"Why are you protecting me?" Severus asked in a voice that was low and harsh due to the long period of disuse. Harry was not surprised that he could talk. No, not at all.

He did not stop his tender, cleaning motions. "It's obvious, Snape," Harry answered after a while. "I can't simply let them kill you."

"Oh?" Severus managed a leer. "Morality, Potter? Need I remind you that you had taken a hand in killing others? Why are you stopping at me?"

Harry stopped and finally looked into his eyes. He glared. He was angry, yes, but not in the explosive, rash manner, with which Severus was familiar. "Because those others could have damned well defended themselves! Can you? You couldn't even stop them from torturing you!"

Somewhat, that angered and surprised Severus. "Your noble, chivalrous thinking is going to get you killed one day." _Maybe betrayed, _Severus thought silently. The way Harry's jaws were set, the dark, haunting and lost look in his eyes, had made him think of something.

"If I knew what sort of curses they'd bound you to..." Harry's mumble reached his ears. It was entirely possible that Harry had not meant that he should hear that.

"Suicide, Potter." Severus frowned. _What is the brat thinking? After these few years, has he learned _nothing

"Shut up, Snape. I know why I'm doing this, so don't argue with me." His expression turned moody. He crawled on the bed and worked on Severus' back in silence.

"Do you really think I would simply shut up when you had gone and bound me into another oath?" Severus asked quietly. "Why did you do it, Potter?"

"I told you - I'm not letting you get murdered."

"Potter, all you are doing is delaying it." Severus smiled grimly. "Even if I manage to escape death in the hands of ... people, I will still die, sooner or later."

"But not yet."

Severus laughed, but there was no humor in it. "And if _he_ gets you, I have to go along with you?"

"You don't have to," Harry said with great indifference. "Since you fear Death, I don't want to drag you along prematurely." The taunt in his voice made Severus bristle in anger. "The bond is _irrevocable_, yes. As unbreakable as the bond you have with Riddle. That's Voldemort's name by the way, if you didn't know."

No, he did not, but thinking about the Dark Lord now would not bring him any useful information. Now that Harry was talking to him about it, Severus was finding it quite difficult to accept it.

"You..." Severus could not find the words to speak. He did not realize until now, just how firmly wrapped Harry's fingers were upon his life. But the bond was there, as strong and as irrevocable as his oath to the Dark Lord. What had he gotten himself into? For the first time, he felt as though he was thrown into a destiny that he could no longer control.

Harry kept quiet, unresponsive to his threatening tone. He blithely went about wiping Severus' body with the wet towel.

"And the kisses? The girls around you aren't to your tastes? No eligible ... _boys_?" he hissed. He did not like being ignored.

The hand with the towel stopped at his thigh. Harry looked at him with an unreadable expression in his eyes. Severus thought he would break under the stare, but evidently, the brat was quite ready for the challenge.

"Perhaps so. Luna is too eccentric. Ron would gut me if I ever try to get Hermione like that. Charlie's taken, and I would never even dream about desiring Malfoy. Ginny ... I don't know what she's thinking, but the relationship's not going to work. Now, I can't bloody well chase George without chasing Fred as well, and I don't think I'm quite up to have two partners, even if they've given the indication that they might swing my way," Harry spoke. Then he smiled crookedly and leaned forward. Severus could not back away due to his curse. He scowled darkly at Harry. The young man's lips hovered inches before his own and a moist, red tongue flickered out to lick his lips. "Why shouldn't I kiss _you_?" Harry grinned mischievously. "You weren't unwilling, _Severus_."

Severus snarled. Was the brat presuming that he was an easy prey? That did not sit well with his ego. "Get away from me." He pulled his head back; Harry leaned in even more.

"No," Harry said. Eyes closed, his lips touched Severus' mouth.

"What are you? A desperate dog in heat?" Severus growled. "Too incapable to get someone you really like?"

It was to his amazement that Harry did not snap. The young man backed away, far enough so that Severus could see his entire face. There was no mistaking the amused glint in those bottle-green eyes.

"Dog?" Harry snorted, for some reason amused.

_He is not reacting ... the way I had expected him to react. _Severus frowned.

"Well, personally, I think I'm a stag in rut." Harry's lips twitched, as though threatening to break out into a grin. "Or maybe an ewe in season," he said, his words implying _a lot _of things Severus saw him look down for a second and stiffened - including _that_ part. "And you don't seem to mind," Harry concluded with a satisfied smirk.

Setting aside, the wet towel, Harry's hand - cold due to his task - stroked Severus' open thigh several times before creeping up higher. Severus tensed even more, feeling the blood rush up to his face and groin.

"And just for your information, Severus..." The older man gritted his teeth at Harry's casual use of his name, not that he did not like it, but the fact that a thrilling sensation was going down his spine. "I think the only person I care to be with right now ... is you."

As Severus tried to comprehend that statement, Harry removed his glasses and scooted down to make himself comfortable on Severus' lap. The potions master, who had never utter a profanity aloud in front of others, did so that night, as he slipped in between soft lips. His toes curled at the sensation of Harry's tongue twirling around him. Just before _the moment_, Harry stopped completely and withdrew.

_"Damn you..._" Severus growled in frustration. Harry just chuckled as he crawled backward to sit near the foot of the bed. He was in for more surprise. Harry was beginning to strip. Not just stripping, he was _teasing_ as well. Severus, not quite accustomed to such ... foreplay, did not know whether he should keep looking, or look away.

He barely breathed as he watched Harry toy with himself using moistened fingers.

"I want you ... damn, I really want you," Harry muttered half-deliriously. He gasped loudly, and Severus groaned as he witnessed two fingers slip in completely. "Ah...ah...!"

Severus' mind whirled with disbelief. Could the brat actually have experience in bed? "Damn you, Potter!" Severus shook. His body was on fire, teetering on orgasm. He growled. _Damn you! _He cursed himself mentally for letting himself lose control like this, for wanting this. _Damn you ... damn this curse! _He wanted to break the bonds the Aurors had on him, so he could pounce on the deserving brat. He wanted to take over that sweet body and pound until the owner screamed, but all he could do was watch and want.

Harry stopped playing with himself and pulled his fingers out. With eyes completely unfocused, he crawled toward Severus. Muttering inaudible things, he pushed Severus down on the mattress and sucked him once more. Then taking it into his own hand, he guided it to breach into his body. Severus' breaths turned out heavy and harsh. He desperately wanted to thrust into the body, but the curse held him back.

"Bloody hell ... you're big," Harry gasped as he stopped moving. He stayed atop, resting.

Minutes passed.

_You're killing me._ Severus groaned. Harry was so tight ... and so hot. Before he could think about begging, Harry began a slow ride. Severus' mind stopped complaining. As Harry picked up the pace, he leaned forward. Growling and moaning, their mouths met and locked.

Their screams of pleasure and triumph were lost in each other's mouth as their bodies shook violently, overwhelmed by their orgasms. Slowly, reality began to creep into their systems. Then his eyes widened as Harry slowly straightened his back. His hands were gripping Harry's hips.

"That's strange," Harry observed in a detached tone.

Licking his lips, Severus tried to flex his digits. _It worked!_ He bit back an exclamation.

**-oOOoOOo-**


	10. Sinful Experimentation

_Chapter Ten: Sinful Experimentation_

Harry tried to shake off the dreamy haziness from his mind. However, the fuzzy feeling refused to leave. He looked down at himself and then at Severus' face. Seeing the flushed expression on the man's face made him heat up from within, and he blushed furiously. The things that he had done to Severus flashed in his mind quite vividly. It did not help that his arse was burning in reminder.

_I wanted to talk ... why did this happen? _He groaned, feeling ashamed. _Bloody hell ... why didn't I think first? _He had only wanted to tease Severus – he hadn't counted on himself losing control like this. _Damn it. _Surely Severus was going to think that he was a slut ... or something…. He opened his mouth to speak, but words failed him. Severus seemed preoccupied with flexing his fingers and brushing his thumbs against Harry's hipbones.

"Uh ... Severus?" Obsidian eyes slowly lifted to stare at him. _Damn ... what in the hell should I say? 'Thank you – this had relieved our bodies a great deal?' _"Uhmmmm ... I wanted to talk to you, actually..." he said in a weak voice and braced himself upward. He gasped, when Severus tightened his grip on his hips. "W-wait..." He looked at Severus pleadingly. "We should talk."

"Then talk," Severus said softly. He was quite determined about not letting Harry move.

His stomach was rolling about. His heart was thumping fast in his chest. His skin was hot. His groin was on fire, stoked by the fingers tracing circles on his flesh. His eyes were drawn to the pair of obsidian eyes, gazing at him lazily.

"The irrevocable oath." Getting those words out of his own mouth felt like a chore.

"What about it?" Severus asked in a disinterested manner.

The younger man straddled on his lap blushed and fidgeted when a hand carelessly stroked him.

"Se-Severus, stop it. I need to talk."

"I do not have to stop for you to talk," the wizard said smugly.

"Ugh!" Harry closed his eyes. Try as he might, he could not stop his body from arching into the touch. "It is an oath of protection," he said breathlessly.

"And?"

"It gives you a certain – uhhh! – amount of protection against powerful spells." He leaned forward and breathed heavily into Severus' ear. The older wizard rewarded him with a stimulating nip on his collarbone. "The way it works ... uhmmm ... I will still be able to protect you even if I'm dead."

"And why had you offered me that?" Severus murmured against his shoulder.

"I don't know ... ah!" He panted harshly, as Severus started to thrust into him. "It seemed like a good idea … at the time."

"One of these days," Severus' voice was dark and husky, "your ... good ideas ... will put you to your death."

"Severus." Harry felt weak all over. He bared his throat, enjoying the feel of Severus' lips nipping and sucking his throat, and shamelessly rocked himself into Severus' experimental hand.

**-oOOoOOo-**


	11. The Curse Breaks

_Firesword: Expect major lime, so be prepared._

_Chapter Eleven: The Curse Breaks_

Severus had expected changes after that night with Harry. He was half-afraid that he would develop a raging erection each time he saw the younger man. Thankfully, he still had a bit of self-control. Harry was not acting any differently, although he was quite affectionate at times.

One night, the air felt strangely tense. Harry came into the room, scowling darkly as he shut the door behind him. Severus waited until he had put up the necessary precautions. It was a mystery why Harry had not informed anyone that he had not lost his ability to speak, and that he was beginning to be able to move.

"I don't know what's wrong with everyone," Harry muttered as he removed his shoes. Then he sat down on the bed before positioning himself beside Severus. "Hermione won't talk to me ... Ron's pissed off at something Tonks had said. Moody and Meade are arguing about whether or not we should be going to another haven." Whatever it was, he was depressed enough to snuggle close to Severus.

The silence between them grew, but Severus chose not to break it. He simply enjoyed the warmth of Harry's body. He thought of nothing. It was incredibly relaxing, until Harry's hand slid under his shirt and started rubbing his chest. No matter how much willpower he had, his resolution wavered whenever Harry began his seduction. No matter how much he tried to convince himself that his body did not like it, Harry's kisses undid him. It made him feel vulnerable. It made him mad with need.

Harry sat him up, and made him lean against the headboard. Thoughts of what Harry wanted to do crawled around his befuddled mind.

"If you want to undress me, finish the job," Severus muttered.

Harry, already naked, merely grinned and straddled his thighs. "You look sexy like that."

Severus snorted and looked down at himself, unclothed from the waist down, his shirt completely unbuttoned but still clinging to his shoulders. His cheeks heated and he wondered what he was doing, staring down at himself like that.

"This," Harry stroked him lightly, "looks very nice as well."

Obsidian eyes rolled sardonically at that comment. Harry continued to sit on him, unmoving ... and still wearing that idiotic grin. Severus pondered on what he should do. He leaned back, made himself comfortable and studied Harry. Gone was the innocent face Harry worn as a child; he still looked a bit boyish but not naive or lost anymore. That Harry was able to seduce him like this, accounted for a bit of growing up. It certainly did not hurt that he was quite ... adventurous and imaginative.

His eyes shifted, and met Harry's. The owner seemed amused at his overt examination but did not utter a word. Severus moved his attention to the mane of black hair, as dark as his own, but stubborn and unruly. Suddenly, he itched to touch it.

He brought his hand forward slightly and reached out. The grin from the younger man's face faded into a gentle, almost contented, smile as Severus caressed it with slow, gentle strokes. His hand moved to the right shoulder, and he placed his other hand on the left. He kneaded the flesh and smiled upon feeling the shiver under his hands.

"Come closer," Severus whispered. Harry moved several inches and Severus restrained himself from rubbing the other's erection. Dipping forward, he kissed the wizard's chin, and felt the warm puff of air against the tip of his ear. He moved on to the earlobe, gently kissing and biting it in alternate movements. Pulling his head back, he saw that Harry's eyes were closed and his eyelids were fluttering slightly with his heartbeat.

"Your glasses are in the way."

In response, Harry took them off. The minute it left his face, Severus grasped his cheeks. He pulled him forward, and Harry gasped. Severus' tongue ran rampant all over his lips and into his mouth. The sound of Harry's glasses tumbling to the floor barely registered in his head.

"Uhhhh..." Harry pulled back, gasping for air. Severus used the opportunity to press his hand against the wizard's lower back, making Harry arch a little.

Severus caught the dark chocolate bud between his lips and started sucking.

"Oh!" Harry whimpered, and he shuddered when Severus took his other nipple and started to nurse it the same way he did to the first. "...good..."

"Stand up..." Severus' heart was pounding. His mind was quite frantic with lust. He was so close to Harry - he could almost _feel_ the same need coming from Harry's manhood.

"Uh ... why?"

Severus swore and glared into the hazy, green eyes. "You can be offensively dense, do you know? Get on your knees and let me suck you."

"What?" Harry gaped, dumbstruck. His eyes were suddenly clear.

"Are you afraid?" Severus taunted, raising his eyebrow. "I am not going to bite, you foolish brat."

"It's not that..." Harry mumbled, suddenly not looking at him.

"Then what?"

"I might come." That came out in a barely audible whisper. Severus looked at his face closely and smirked to see that the tip of his ears had actually turned crimson.

"Hmphf. You are young. That will not be a problem. Now, get up. I want to taste you."

Harry was quite reluctant. He almost bucked away when Severus went straight for him. Fortunately, the older wizard had seen it coming and had stopped Harry from moving any further by placing his hands on his hips. Harry's contradictory pleas filled his ears, making him smile with amusement. He continued, determined to finish Harry.

Body tense and voice suddenly mute, Harry came. He let out a soft whimper when his body shook and weakly dropped on Severus, which caused the older wizard to gasp. It was almost painful when Harry's bottom trapped his erection. He was quickly distracted from the pain by the sweet, lingering kisses on his mouth. At some point, he realized that he was poking into Harry.

"Make it easier, Harry," he said, somewhat out of breath.

"Eager, aren't you?" Harry chuckled softly.

Harry's body was heaven, and hell, at the same time. Heaven, because sweet pleasure assaulted his nerves. Hell, because it seemed that pleasure could reduce his ego. Severus was glad that Harry was kissing him - Merlin only knew what sort of sweet-nothings would escape his mouth. Then his lover cursed in frustration, and Severus held his head back, wondering what was wrong.

"... not enough," Harry muttered to himself. "Damn ... I want you to move." The younger man buried his face in the crook of his neck, all the while muttering. "I want you to shove it in. Go all the way. Hard."

The words played in his mind over and over, almost driving him mad. Harry was right - his shallow movements were not enough. He needed to pound, needed to lengthen the strokes before slamming right into him again and again.

"Severus ... Severus... damn..." Harry tried to get into a good position to achieve that but to no avail. Seeing the desperation in his face, the pure need in his voice, Severus growled. He was so blinded with need to give Harry what he wanted, he was not even aware that he had managed to move.

He pushed Harry back, who in surprise, wrapped his legs around Severus' waist in a firm grip. Now, Severus had the freedom of movement and thrust his hips back and forth repeatedly. Harry's gasps quickly transcended into loud moans and pleas, before ending with a sharp cry.

"Yessss!"

His tide of orgasm swept Severus off as well. The contractions around him were so hard, painful, but exquisite. Their moments of pleasure dulled. Severus hovered above Harry, a bit confused as to how he got into that position. While his eyes stared blankly at the young face, his mind took an inventory of the conditions of his body. His arms and his legs were straining with effort to keep himself above his lover. His back and hips ached peculiarly. He felt himself soften and Harry's body pushed him out. A thought floated in his mind, and Severus absently pulled back to see his essence flow out. Then it finally registered that he had actually moved back to witness it.

"That was great," Harry said shakily. Before Severus could think of anything else, he pulled him down. It couldn't be comfortable for Harry if he continued to stay on top, so he moved, and lay on his side.

If he could move, then he could finally be free of the Order, right?

"Your choice, Severus. You can stay, or you can go." Harry's voice was thick with satiation. He almost sounded half-asleep. "I'm not going to leave your side, however."

Severus stared mutely at the raven-haired head. Minutes passed, with only the sounds of breathing audible. He thought Harry was asleep.

"Hey, do me again later," Harry whispered. "Now that you can move ... take advantage of me, all right?"

"You damned brat," Severus muttered. But even to him, those words had lost their offensive edge. They sounded almost fond. He sighed at Harry's soft chuckles.

**-oOOoOOo-**


	12. To Confide or Not

_Chapter Twelve: To Confide Or Not_

Harry's haven was wrapped up in silence, as it was still too early for people to be up. Those who were awake did their tasks quietly, not wanting to disturb their comrades from resting. Inside the small room just right around the hall, a young man groaned softly. His back ached and his gut felt strange. In the dark, he blushed, as he thought of the flesh inside him. _He didn't pull out. _For some reason, the idea that they had been joined throughout the night made him happy.

He had not thought that he would have any energy left when he had returned from a mission last night. It was not that he had done anything dangerous last night – he had more or less acted as another pair of eyes and a scout. Bill, Hermione, and Professor McGonagall had done the real work of solving yet another riddle left behind by Albus Dumbledore. Hermione, with McGonagall's guidance, had unlocked a secret passageway hidden beneath a mass of ruins, of which it was rumored to have people worshipping Hydra. They had come across a vault then, of which Bill's expertise in curse breaking had been very useful. Tonks and Remus were the ones to step into the containment room first, and were quite surprised to find it opening into different areas. It was a labyrinth. A strange sphere-like structure stood in the middle of the 'main' room.

Tonks was uneasy about exploring the other parts of the labyrinth, and so they had returned with only the spherical object. Harry, having acted as a watcher throughout the entire time, had his nerves strung up to a high degree. He had excused himself and had gone straight for Severus' room, with the intention of getting some rest. However, the night had turned out differently for him.

Harry shivered upon remembering the gentleness that Severus had shown him. _What do I do? _He thought worriedly. _I don't want to wake him. _He pressed his cheek against the warm flesh of Severus' arm. _He must be tired. _But it was quite uncomfortable for him. _Uncomfortable? It's more like torture. _He closed his eyes, and pushed back, very slowly.

"Nnnnh..." Harry heard Severus grunt.

"Ah!"

All of a sudden, Severus curled up around him and used his weight to push him further into the mattress.

"What are you doing?" Severus murmured into his ear.

"What do you mean, what I'm doing?" Harry muttered. "What are _you_ doing still inside of me? Get off – Hermione might come to wake us at any moment."

"Hmmmm." The non-committal response faded. Severus sucked fiercely on the flesh at the back of his neck.

"Se-verus ... ah…."

Hermione knocked on the door at a time that was later than usual. He stopped brushing Severus' hair and went to open the door. She looked quite tired, but she still managed to give him a toothsome smile as she set down a tray of breakfast on the end-table.

"Did you have a good rest, Harry?" she asked somewhat curiously. "You look somewhat ... out of it."

"Huh?" He gave her a blank look.

She raised her eyebrow. "Well, if you're still tired, you can sleep." She yawned. "I'm getting some sleep now."

"You'd stayed up?" He felt slightly guilty.

"Don't give me that look." She waved her hand dismissively. "The sphere was just too interesting for me to have left it alone with Professor McGonagall. But we haven't cracked it yet. We're all getting some shut-eye, and have a look at it again later."

"You didn't leave it on its own, did you?" Harry frowned.

"Of course not. Moody's keeping an eye on it for now. Fleur and Gabrielle will watch it later." She tilted her head to one side. "The thing made you feel ill at ease?"

"Somewhat."

"That's interesting." Though she was tired, she had that expression which told Harry that she was going to investigate the matter.

"Hermione, get some rest. You might miss out interesting stuff if you fall on your face later." He grabbed her elbow and walked her out. "I'll be right back," he said to Severus, who looked at him with a bored expression.

As they walked up the stairs, Harry noticed that Hermione was looking oddly at him. "What?" he asked her, curious.

"What's that on your neck, Harry?" Soft fingers peeled his collar.

"Huh?" He paled. Swiftly, he caught her hand before she could expose his neck to the sunlight coming from the window.

They stopped. Hermione's eyes were wide with amazement.

"Harry, is that a love bite on your neck?" she asked slowly.

He blushed but did not answer.

"Harry!" she squealed. "You ... Snape ... you had..." She turned bright red. "You love him." She continued to stare penetratingly into his eyes. "How far did you go ... with him?"

He could not help it – his cheeks colored even more.

"Oh my god." Her eyes sparkled. "Wait – how did you...?"

"Hermione." His voice was plaintive.

His friend let out a soft yelp and pressed her hands to her flaming cheeks. "Harry!"

"Please don't tell Ron."

"Of course I won't tell," she said firmly, "but that love bite is quite obvious if you're not careful. The others may take a while to find out about who'd given you _that_ but _not_ the twins, or Remus ... or Tonks."

"I'll use a charm," he muttered.

As he walked back to Severus' room, he wondered if he should tell Hermione that the spells holding Severus immobile were weakening. He was quite deep in thought that he had not realized that Hedwig was flying toward him. A greeting call brought him to his senses and he belatedly held his arm out for her. "Hedwig, what brings you here?" She bit at the hem of his sleeve and started tugging at it. Harry looked at her askance, and uncertainly entered the room with her on his arm.

Hedwig had previously avoided this room, even though her perch was kept inside it. So why was she indicating to Harry, with the slight tugs, that she wanted to go near Severus? Seeing the other man recoil at the sight of her, he paused. It was clear to him that Severus had not forgotten how Buckbeak had attacked him with those deadly talons. Half afraid that his own owl would cause harm to the one he cared about, he pressed the palm of his hand on her chest. Hedwig hooted at him, somehow managing to sound indignant. She nipped softly at his hand. Then she swiveled her head in a fashion that only owls were capable of and stared at Severus with her ochre-colored eyes.

Severus' dark eyes watched her warily.

"I don't know what she wants," he told the Potions master.

Hedwig suddenly swooped down without warning. Harry gasped and unthinkingly, he stumbled toward Severus. He felt his heart stop when she kicked at Severus' hands, which were held up protectively over his head. Then, as though it was normal for an owl, she screamed a greeting and settled on Severus' shoulder. She tucked in her wings, and stared at Harry nonchalantly.

"Hedwig!" he exclaimed in fright. "Don't do that!" he scolded. "Severus?" He caressed the wizard's white face. "Are you all right?"

Severus answered him with a menacing glare.

"I'm sorry. I really am," he apologized with feeling. "I'm sorry." Not caring that the door was open and anyone might decide to peek in, he stooped a little and placed a kiss on Severus' left temple. When he withdrew, Severus did not look as severe as he did several seconds ago.

It took Harry some time to get Hedwig to leave Severus' shoulder. Since she did not fall for her usual tidbits, he actually had to present her with a live mouse. Hedwig had good manners, and had taken the gift outside to eat it. He sighed with relief when she flew off and shut the door quietly. Not wanting to be disturbed, he charmed the door for privacy. He went into the bathroom to wash his hands, and when he came out, he headed straight for the bed and sat down near Severus.

"You are staying here for the whole day?" Severus asked somewhat sarcastically.

"I think so. Hermione did say I can get more sleep."

"All you are doing is wasting your time," Severus said gravely. "You would be better off practicing spells." His stared deeply into Harry's emerald eyes. "My book is a treasure of new spells ... am I correct to assume so?"

Harry winced guiltily.

"Fortunately for you, brat, neither the Dark Lord or the other Death Eaters had witnessed me performing those experimental spells when I used to be one of them."

His heart hurt suddenly. Harry dropped his gaze and looked at his hands. "Severus, the way you created those spells ... how did you ... test them out?"

"The very same way you had."

Harry's head snapped up. The younger man gritted his teeth, suddenly overwhelmed with remorse. Severus touched his cheek. His hand moved to stroke Harry's hair, before pulling him close. Too surprised to pull away, he simply rested his head against Severus' shoulder.

"I have only cast those spells once in my life."

Hesitant hands came to wrap around his body, and Harry responded by pressing himself more against Severus. His lover resumed stroking his hair comfortingly. Though it was quite a contradictory behavior – Severus had hinted that he should go and do something useful – Harry did not point it out, and relaxed into the embrace.

"Severus, why did you do it?" Harry whispered.

The older wizard was quiet for a long time. When Harry was about to give up, almost believing that Severus was not going to tell him, he spoke.

"It was a mistake," Severus' voice, though quiet, was harsh with barely suppressed emotion. "He should not have pursued it – the Horcrux business. I had tried to warn him – he would not listen. All of his injuries, which were apparent when school had resumed, were because of the traps that we had set."

_We? Traps? _"For who, Severus?" Harry demanded, remembering the peculiar note he had attained on the night of Dumbledore's death.

"The Dark Lord. All were to ensure that he would be turned into a mortal."

"What?" Harry could not believe his ears.

"Regulus Black ... loved ... looked up to his brother. Those were the ways he had tried to make up to Sirius Black. Do you know why I'd hated your godfather? The man was blind to his brother's efforts, that selfish idiot. He had only done it to help him. But I am not answering your question, am I? Why had he called for me?" Severus tightened his hold on Harry, but Harry scarcely noticed the pressure. "He had hoped ... the Headmaster had hoped that I had the antidote for the potion that he had drunk. But there was no antidote. He knew, when I did not speak. Why had I used the Killing curse? I am under oath – not just by Narcissa's Unbreakable Oath, but Lucius' as well. I cannot allow Draco to fall as low as we had. Brutal as it might have been, it was a way for Draco to escape. Professor Dumbledore commanded me to it."

"Commanded?" Harry's voice shook with anger. Professor Dumbledore had not done such thing – at least not in his memory.

"I had been under his tutelage for many years, Harry. Sometimes, the eyes can tell you more things than any spoken word. This is one of the many reasons why the Dark Lord distrusts me."

Silent tears fell. Harry could not tell if those were his, or Severus'.

"What made you work against Vo–"

"Do not speak his name," Severus whispered.

"What ... made you betray _him_?"

Severus lifted his face and they stared at each other.

"I cannot say," Severus said finally. Pain and anger showed in his eyes, but he only let Harry see them for several seconds. The man closed his eyes and looked away. Still, the rigid expression on his face told Harry that he was suffering from emotional pain.

**-oOOoOOo-**


	13. The Decision

_Chapter Thirteen: The Decision_

The breaking of Severus' curse did not go unnoticed for long. The spellcasters began to show signs such as severe headaches and the inability to cast minor spells. Granger had been the first to know since Harry had told her first, and she had been hovering near the potions master's cell every day. Whether it was for his protection or the Order's protection, he could not tell. He had attained another guardian, in the form of Harry's snowy owl. Whenever Harry had to leave – what he actually did outside of the room was a mystery – Hedwig would fly in, settle on her perch, and keep watch.

Although they took a long time to realize it, the spellcasters finally understood why they were experiencing moments of weaknesses. Coincidentally, most of them became aware of it on the day they were supposed to move to another hideout. In the confusion of the move, someone slipped into Severus' cell.

Severus, still keeping up the pretense that he was unable to move, looked at the intruder with a calm expression. He did not recognize the fellow, but a strange 'feel' informed him that the wizard was someone the Dark Lord had sent. _What could be so urgent that I am _his_ primary target now?_

There was an explosion from somewhere in the house. Severus' eyes immediately flitted to look out at the hall. It seemed that several objects had blown up into pieces and debris was falling all over the place. A small piece of a stone gargoyle landed on the foot of Severus' bed.

"Why won't you just die?" the intruder snarled. His wand whipped past his face, but then he screamed, as a set of talons raked at his face.

Severus cursed himself as he clumsily rolled off the bed. Months of not moving had blunted his reflexes. Thanks to Harry's interest in lovemaking, he had at least re-assumed control of his body. Severus panted for a moment before grabbing the legs of the end table. Since Hedwig had already flown away to safety, he hurled it at the wizard without another thought.

For some reason, the man just stared at it uselessly.

"Idiot," Severus muttered under his breath as the furniture smacked him on the face hard. He sprinted toward the fallen wizard and snatched the wand from limp fingers. His attacker was out of it for the moment.

He stood at the doorway and looked at the chaos before him. He could hear shouts - Shacklebolt probably - ordering everyone to get out through the mirror. Severus' eyes narrowed in thought. He looked down at himself - it would not be good to be running in his pajamas. Then he arched his eyebrow as he turned to look at his unconscious attacker.

It only took him several minutes to change out of his clothes, and into the ones worn by his attacker. He did not bother to dress the unconscious man in his bedclothes and started running in the direction everyone else was running. At the end of the hall, a gigantic mirror with beautiful gold moldings around it stood regally. As a person entered the middle of its reflective surface, strange ripples moved across it.

It _was _strange crossing through the barrier. His skin still tingled with discomfort when he got to the other side - a forest. "What idiocy!" he snapped. A growl, warning him of danger, made him cast a spell before he even caught sight of the aggressor. The person fell and writhed in pain. Severus ran to the wizard's side to check if he was a friend, or foe. _One of Graybeard's lackeys._ He snorted contemptuously and fired another spell. The wizard stopped moving.

The sounds of battle rang clear in the woods. The Dark Lord's minions were everywhere. A Dementor nearly caught him, but someone's Patronus charged at it and sent it fleeing. Severus continued to run, until he felt vines circle around his ankles. Inevitably, he fell. He managed to roll to his side and shot a hex, which the caster deflected quickly.

Harry came stumbling into view. "For a man your age, you run like hell," he panted. "Here." He handed out a familiar-looking wand.

As Severus dumbly accepted his wand, Harry got down to disentangle the vines around his ankles. Then he did not make any move to stand up. He just sat there on the grass, gasping.

"What in the hell are you doing? Get up!" Severus hissed and grabbed hold of his elbow.

"I can't," Harry huffed. Severus noticed that he was squinting from pain, and looked down at the wizard's legs. The flesh was ripped from his right leg, almost exposing the bone.

"You're a damned fool!" Severus shrugged off his outer robe and hastily shred it into something with which he could bandage the leg. He was in the process of casting a sterilizing spell when Harry slapped his head to the side, almost cradling the back of it protectively. Severus heard him mutter a spell angrily, and the sound of a tree splintering to pieces reached his ears seconds later.

"Go." Harry batted his hands away after he was bandaged adequately.

Severus rose to his feet and looked on as Harry struggled to get up.

"...damned fool." Without thinking twice, Severus cast a Lightening charm on the astonished wizard and carried him in his arms. He started to run. Harry continued to look at him with wide, emerald eyes. "Pay attention and watch our backs!" he snapped.

"Oh..." Harry straightened, and frowned in concentration as he stared over Severus' shoulder.

_Foolish brat. _As he ran, he contemplated his actions. Why didn't he leave Harry? They suddenly came across a clearing and Severus swore pungently. They had nowhere to run, coming to the edge of a cliff suddenly.

"Harry!" A shout exploded from somewhere in the air.

The wizard in his arms panicked, fear flashing in his face. It quickly turned into relief when a dragon materialized from the bright blue sky. Granger was leaning precariously down the dragon's side and was waving her arms.

"Down!" Charlie Weasley commanded and his dragon Zerina angled downward.

Zerina flared her wings. Severus had to hold Harry quite tightly in his arms, afraid that the mighty wind generated by the dragon's wingbeats would blow Harry away. There were screams coming from the trees behind them. Severus hurried. He handed Harry over to Ron Weasley's outstretched arms and deactivated the charm he had suffused into Harry's body. He paused and stared at Harry's hand.

The others did not speak a word as Severus and Harry stared into each other's eyes. Quiet yearning flickered in emerald depths. Clouds of uncertainty pooled in obsidian eyes.

The choice was his. He took the hand that was offered to him.

As they made their escape on dragonback, Harry clung to him, muttering 'thanks' and words of endearments that made him blush. He tried to ignore the frequent glances of Granger, the Weasleys, and his godson. He glared at Harry, but since it was his head he was glaring at, Harry continued his nonsensical babble.

"You..." Severus jerked on his hair and when Harry's face came up in surprise, he kissed the parted mouth hard. Satisfied that he had the brat's attention, he said in a low voice, "Shut up." The shock vanished, and a sheepish expression crept in. Harry lowered his eyes and Severus wrapped his arms about him. "You are making it sound as though I did not have a choice," he whispered into Harry's ear.

Harry laughed. "You had a choice, don't worry." Emerald eyes looked back at him happily. "You could have taken my hand or walk away. You chose to take my hand." Harry grinned, and his eyes flashed brilliantly. "The choice that you cannot make is my decision to stay with you. Even if you'd walked away, I'd still find you ... sooner or later."

Severus looked archly at him. "You cannot be serious about loving me."

The young raven-haired wizard continued to smile at him. Throughout the journey in the air, wind slamming against their bodies almost brutally, Harry, unfazed by the elements of air, repeatedly declared his love. At one point, Zerina did a maneuver that made Granger scream with terror. Severus could not blame her. He felt that he had left his stomach somewhere behind him, and his heart was pounding so hard when Harry had almost fallen off the dragon. He did not stop to think - he cast a spell that bound Harry to him.

"You idiot," he grumbled under his breath, as he tried to soothe the shivering body. "Stop talking and save your strength."

"Okay," Harry said after a while.

"Don't fall asleep," Severus murmured. "Just ... stay with me." Again, Harry's head snapped up to look at him. Although embarrassed, Severus could not look away.

"Okay." Harry smiled.

**-oOOoOOo-**


	14. Rough Rendezvous

_Chapter Fourteen: Rough Rendezvous_

Shrill screams echoed in his ears. Another Death Eater went down at his hex. Tears stung his eyes but did not fall. Pain screamed through his nerves. He wanted to stop running but knowing that his 'feel' of Severus was not going to last forever he continued making his way to the running wizard. He had no idea how that was possible, but it must have been due to the irrevocable oath that he had taken. He was supposed to be protecting Severus. It would only make sense if he should know about the wizard's whereabouts, by whatever means.

He felt the Dementor before he saw it. He caught sight of the fleeing Potions master. _Where in the hell did he get those robes?_ Harry thought inconsequentially. Then he shook his head to clear his thoughts and summoned a happy memory. His Patronus appeared and he directed it to chase the Dementor away from his lover.

Severus continued to run. Harry wheezed in pain, but still determined to catch up with him. Taking a chance, he whipped his wand and magical vines shot out from the tip. They curled around the wizard's ankles and tripped him, but Severus fell in a controlled motion. Harry's eyes widened when he saw the white bolt, and countered it with the same spell. The magic bolt was deflected harmlessly to the side.

"For a man your age, you run like hell," he panted. With a shaking hand, he drew out Severus' birch wand from his pocket. "Here."

Not caring about the pain he was in, he sank down to the ground and helped Severus untangle the vines around his ankles. He watched as the wizard rose to his feet, but he made no move to do the same.

_The blood ... they'll track me down, _Harry thought with a wince. The pain tripled suddenly – he couldn't even hear himself think. He was vaguely aware that Severus was tugging at his elbow, commanding him to get up, and him replying that he could not. Then Severus was doing something to his leg, which made the agony more pronounced than ever.

He did not know what exactly alerted him, but something dangerous was coming for them. Quick as lightning, he grabbed for Severus' neck and pulled the man close to him.

"**_Irruzash!_**" He saw the creature thrash madly at the trees. One tree suddenly splintered, killing it instantly.

Severus bandaged him quickly after sterilizing his wound with a spell. "Go!"

Getting to his feet was hard. His head spun dizzily. Then he gasped in surprise when he felt a spell slid over him, and suddenly, he found himself in Severus' arms. He stared at Severus until he heard the wizard bark an order at him.

"Pay attention and watch our backs!"

_That's right ... we're still surrounded. _He straightened, and scanned the surroundings.

He heard a shout and grew alarmed. He realized that they had nowhere to run, arriving suddenly at the edge of a cliff. He looked up, and suddenly saw the familiar flash of scales. _Zerina! _It was Charlie's dragon.

Severus held him tightly as Zerina flapped her wings hard and lowered herself. Harry felt the urgency as Severus walked quickly toward the dragon. Screams from behind them made him look. The pack had found their fallen comrade and no doubt, they were angry about it. He let out a yelp when Severus roughly handed him over to a pair of familiar hands – hands that had supported him many times in the past.

"You okay mate?" Ron's blue-grey eyes were worried.

Harry held out his hand, and looked yearningly at Severus. _Please ... take my hand._ It seemed like he had waited for an eternity when Severus finally made his decision. The happiness that burst out from his heart shadowed the pain that his leg was causing him.

"Severus … I love you!" He squeezed the hands that were wrapped around his waist. "Thank you!" He babbled out more things, but for some reason, he could not remember what it was that he had said, and ended up repeating himself. "Ah!" he yelped when Severus jerked hard at his hair. He found himself staring at Severus' eyes. _What...? _The kiss on his lips calmed him. But the moment they left him, he felt himself start again.

Perhaps his chattering had unnerved Charlie. Zerina flipped in the air – Harry heard Hermione scream in terror. The maneuver effectively shut him up, and he felt somewhat amused when binds wrapped around him protectively.

"You idiot," Severus muttered in his ear. "Stop talking and save your strength."

"Okay," Harry answered docilely. He calmed down, but felt his eyelids grow heavy.

Severus whispered urgently in his ear. "Don't fall asleep. Just stay ... with me."

"Okay."

Harry tried as hard as he could to remain awake, knowing that it was for his own safety. He had just lost a significant amount of blood, and now he was up in the air. It was fortunate that Zerina was keeping to a low altitude.

They had been flying for a long time and the air was lighter and warmer. He wondered if everyone had managed to escape safely. As he worried about how the other members of the Order were faring, he failed to notice the gentle caress on his face. His only warning was a flash of black lightning.

His yelp was lost in Hermione's shriek and Ron's shout. Something had pushed Zerina's hind downward, and the female dragon had let out a loud bellow. She sounded annoyed and climbed higher into the air. Then she swung her head to the side, and Harry found himself staring into her deep crimson eyes. Her nostrils flared and dark smoke billowed out, and she bellowed angrily again.

A responding roar tore the air above them, and suddenly they were not flying alone. Someone laughed.

"Damn you, Derrick! Tell your dragon not to irritate Zerina! We all know she has a lovely tail, and she's damned touchy about it!"

"How is this...?" Severus did not finish his question.

"I'd forgotten to tell you about this," Harry said apologetically as more and more dragons became visible. "But you remember that we'd brought back a spherical object some weeks ago, right?" Severus frowned and nodded. "Charlie had touched it by accident, and it'd crumbled. There were dozens of pendants hidden within it."

"Pendants?"

"Pendants ... with stones. Hermione calls them the dragonstones. It improves the connection between a dragon keeper and his charge, and improves communication between dragons." Harry waved his hand vaguely at the other dragons flying around them. "That is the reason why they haven't killed each other yet, but are actually working together as a pack."

"Hmmmm."

"Hey, isn't that Krum?" Ron exclaimed suddenly.

Sitting astride on a lithe, red-scaled dragon, Viktor Krum waved at them. He whispered something to the rider in front of him, who nodded, and the dragon slowed its pace to match Zerina's.

"Viktor, what are you doing here?"

Hermione, Harry noticed, still showed signs of being smitten with Viktor, despite her affections toward Ron.

"Scouting," the young man rumbled. "Good to see that you are okay."

"Thanks." Hermione glowed. Ron on the other hand, sulked.

Harry leaned against Severus' chest. He was feeling very sleepy. He sighed. He could not fall asleep here. Absently, he raised one of Severus' hand and started licking the digits.

"What are you doing?" Severus hissed. "They're unclean!"

"I'm getting sleepy, Severus." He nipped the skin gently and smiled upon feeling Severus stiffen from behind him. "I need to do something."

"Then for Slytherin's sake ... do something else!"

"Hmmmm ... okay." Harry concentrated, and charmed Severus' hand clean. The wizard swore into his hair as Harry's tongue poked in between the digits.

**-oOOoOOo-**


	15. The Unrealized Love?

_Chapter Fifteen: The Unrealized Love?_

Was it the Hand of Fate that had been extended to him?

Severus mulled over the question as he regarded Harry's sleeping face in the firelight. _How long had it been since that day?_ Black eyes shifted over to stare at the dancing flames. _Nearly three moons at least, _he decided as he calculated the number of times he had to administer Lupin's potions. The unnerving sensation of someone staring at him broke his contemplation and he glanced over his shoulder. Granger, sitting on an armchair, and Weasley, sitting on the floor beside her, were staring at him with troubled expressions. Severus snorted softly and turned his attention back to his sleeping lover.

_Lover._ It was strange having to think Harry as that, but strangely privileged as well. On its own volition, his hand crept up to caress the mess of thick, black hair.

"Mmmmh..." Although Harry smiled at his touch, he did not wake from his slumber.

Did he really have that freedom of choice?

Was the irrevocable oath the reason why he had remained by Harry's side all this time? Or was it because of Harry's words, that even if he had chosen to leave, Harry would come to him? _Persistent, stubborn brat._ Severus shook his head. He knew he didn't have the choice - that was Harry's to make, not his. He gritted his teeth. Maybe this was what was bothering him. Harry, for all the innocence he still possessed, managed to ensnare him completely. He had the option to run, but Harry was determined to catch him in the end. And then a thought crawled in his mind. It surprised him tremendously. _Is this how unwilling bachelors would feel at the thought of getting married? _He blinked and stared at Harry's face - still oblivious to his silent dilemma - incredulously.

Why was he sticking to Harry?

He continued to entertain his worries until the soft rustle of a skirt reached his ears. He turned his head sharply and frowned at Granger. The intelligent witch did not say anything as she took a cushion and joined them by the fireplace.

"Can I ask you something?" Granger asked quietly. She looked nervously at Harry, as though afraid he would wake upon the sound of her voice. Harry continued to sleep, however.

"No," Severus answered curtly and looked back at the fire.

"It is something which you are also thinking, I suspect..."

_Damn her and her clever instincts. _Severus scowled. "What is it?" he asked gruffly.

"Well ... you don't really like being with us, right?" Granger stared into his eyes calmly.

"Do I look like I'm having the time of my life?" Severus shot back testily.

"So, why are you?"

Bulls-eye. Severus' expression soured.

"It is not like Harry would get weepy and traumatized if you leave. Angry, yes, determined to get you back, obviously ... but it is not about Harry. He isn't having doubts like you do."

"And how can I _not_ have doubts, Granger? Why would a young man like your friend fall in love with me?" He frowned, all the while silently cursing Harry that he was stupid, belligerent and suicidal. "I am _not_ a _good_ person ... is he always so attracted to trouble?"

"Yeah, you are trouble, all right," Weasley muttered. Severus glared at him. Oddly, Weasley stood his ground and stared back. "Just for your information, Snape, Harry didn't ... like you because he pitied you."

Severus clamped his mouth shut. A small part of him was relieved that that hadn't been the case. He muttered an oath under his breath. He wished he knew the answer. All those nagging doubts and annoying questions would definitely stop plaguing him if he did.

"Are you staying so that you could take advantage of Harry like _that_?" Granger asked, ignoring her partner's exclamation of disgust. "Harry _is_ a beautiful young man after all."

His lips stretched out into a malicious snarl, his fingers unconsciously tightening on the front of Harry's T-shirt.

"That's not it, either?" Granger smiled. "Could it be possible that you are actually in love with him?"

The question stunned him. _In love...?_ Severus stared blankly at the female witch. _In love with him? _His gaze dropped to his lover's face. _In love with him? _Severus thought weakly.

After several minutes of silence, Granger sighed. "Now I know why you've been hard on yourself. This is the first time that you are having unexplainable feelings, right? Especially about Harry."

"You are being dangerously presumptuous, witch."

But Granger looked smugly at him. He looked away and contemplated Harry's face as a myriad of memories and the emotions with them resurfaced for his examination. He felt the bitter resentment and ugly feel of jealousy back in his throat. This emotion was not brought on by Harry's luck or the fact that he was quite the famous wizard. No, the emotion was brought on when he had caught Viktor Krum smile tentatively at Harry. The ex-Durmstrang student had been one of the scouts working with a dragon-keeper. He shook the memory away, and another presented itself. The next memory was something that had happened recently, on the night of a full moon. Harry was nearly caught by Lupin, although he had been prancing around in his Animagus form. Severus had taken to following the brat around before that, and he was quite furious, as he had dragged Harry back to their haven. They had argued quietly and after Severus had made sure that Harry had not suffered anything worse, did not talk to him for the rest of the week. One morning, however, Harry had apologized to him, and Severus had surprised both of them when he had grabbed Harry and embraced him tightly.

His cheeks heated up at his own foolish behavior.

"The realization is hitting you hard."

"Shut up," Severus growled at her amused tone.

"Are you sure it's love, Hermione? He's a bloody psycho if you ask me. Following Harry around like a stalker-"

"Not without a good reason, Weasley!" Severus barked. "And what were you doing, letting him experiment in the forest on a full moon night? It does not mean he is safe from Lupin just because he has immunity being in his Animagus form! The brat could have his neck broken by the werewolf! And why are you laughing?" he demanded suspiciously.

Hermione Granger was not looking at him - in fact, she was not looking at anything at all as she had covered her face with her hands, chortling away. Ron Weasley, it seemed, had no clue whatsoever.

"You were worried about him," Granger finally enlightened him.

"I was not worried about the brat!" Severus said defensively. Granger shook her head and chuckled as she rose to her feet.

"Try to accept that you do love him. It'll be easier for you then," she said with a smile and beckoned at Weasley to follow her.

The area by the fireplace was quiet and tranquil again. Severus did not know how many minutes had passed with him debating with his thoughts. The wizard resting on his lap muttered something and rubbed his eyes, before slipping on his glasses.

"Sorry," Harry apologized as he sat up. Blinking sleepily, he asked, "What's the time?"

Severus shrugged, not trusting his voice to say anything.

"What's wrong?" Harry looked at him thoughtfully.

Being able to look in those eyes enabled him to think more clearly for some reason. Harry was an annoying brat certainly. His stubborn bravery was something that Severus both admired and hated. His stubbornness was a constant pain in his arse, but Severus had found out that once he had broken past that, Harry was something else. Dedicated and passionate to his learning - even if it had to be something the brat enjoyed - somehow struck cords within him. It was not so much of Harry's wonderful body as he had once feared, but the wizard's fierce and lively spirit. He was drawn to it like a piece of metal to a lodestone. Weasley's words made him smile as he saw the irony. It was entirely possible that Harry was not as attracted as Severus was to him. He knew Harry liked challenges and it seemed that he was doing his best to become a good comrade, an equal. A partner.

"You have me securely wrapped around your little finger, haven't you?" Severus smiled cynically.

"Huh?" Harry looked at him in confusion.

"Since your head is cloudy with sleepiness, let's go to bed. And what were you thinking - using me as a pillow with all of your friends to witness it?"

Harry grinned. "Well, I was tired ... and you were stroking my hair, which had felt very, very nice ... and you didn't wake me."

"Annoying brat..." Severus took the hand Harry offered and pulled himself up.

"Severus?" Harry's fingers interlaced with his own. The older wizard rolled his eyes at the clasp.

"What?"

"I'm hungry."

Eyebrows furrowed at that. His expression changed quickly into incredulity when Harry pressed up against him boldly. In the hall ... where anyone could see them. Severus tugged hard at the hand clasped within his own.

"You really are too blunt for your own good," he hissed and dragged Harry toward their room. The minute they were in their private sanctuary, Harry started to fondle him as he tried to put up some wards on the door and room.

"I didn't want to say out any innuendoes. You will go too slowly for my taste." Harry palmed his crotch. "I'm in the mood for some quick, hard sex. I want you to screw me until I scream and come so hard that I'll mess the whole bed."

Severus took a deep breath, trying not to let his lust take control over him completely. "You are ... quite the nasty bitch... Or should I say ewe?" He grabbed Harry's hips and thrust against him gently.

"Only for you, Severus," Harry said with a wicked smile. "Only if it's with you."

"And why is that?" He shuddered as Harry bit his throat.

"Because I love you," the younger man said simply. "Of course, it's because I know that my lover does have a kinky nature, which he doesn't want to admit but it's all right because I'm willing to learn all that I can about him. And maybe ... if he knows just how much I'm trying ... he'll let go some of his pride and admit that he loves me too. That is ... if he does love me..." Harry grinned at him happily. "Which really means ... I will be patient with you. I doubt you're accustomed to the act of giving out confessions."

Severus allowed himself a rare smile. "You are quite the impossible brat, do you know?" Harry laughed, eagerly tugging him toward their bed.

**-oOOoOOo-**


	16. Returning Point

_Firesword: The last chapter...  
_

_Chapter Sixteen: Returning Point_

_It was mid-morning. They were standing in the middle of a forest of elder, oaks, and yews. Sunlight was shining through, and had cast an almost ethereal glow on the ground. But this peaceful scene was nothing but an illusion. Harry wondered at the contradiction. It seemed that everything in the world was all right. Then why was Severus pointing his wand at him, looking confused?_

_He knew it was just a dream, but he could not explain the calmness within him. It was just at that moment, he was willing to give all of him to Severus, including his life._

'That didn't happen,' Harry told his subconscious self. 'That's not how it happened. I'd injured my leg, so I wasn't standing still like that.' For some reason, he felt amused. 'If I can think like this, it means I'm not dead yet, right?'

_"Don't forget me."_

'What the hell is up with me?' Harry muttered, but his dream-self did not react to his words. 'Severus took my hand, damn it.'

_"Don't do it, Severus. You will regret it," a voice rang through the woods._

_They turned on their heels immediately at the voice. At some distance away, Harry saw a shining figure. He squinted his eyes to make out the man's form, but the sun was shining too brightly. Then he felt it in his gut._

'...not a dream,' he whispered. He felt a sense of déjà vu. 'I know what this is ... I've felt this before.'

_"Put that wand away, Severus."_

_Severus stood motionless, his expression slack with disbelief. His hand fell limp and his wand dropped onto the soft grass. Little by the little, the light grew brighter and brighter, until all was covered with whiteness._

'Someone had used a bloody Time Turner.'

_The light faded away to black, but slowly the black lightened and revealed shapes. Someone was standing before him, and he knew that it was a dream._

'Sirius.'

_His godfather, looking the same as he had during the last Christmas that Harry had seen him, smiled at him._

_"Hello, Harry," Sirius greeted him cheerfully and reached out._

_Harry jumped at the feel of solidity and warmth from the apparition. Sirius squeezed him lightly, and stroked his hair fondly before releasing him. Then he stepped away, as though making way for others to greet him. Harry felt his throat constrict at the sight of his parents, shyly coming forward._

'Mum ... Dad?'

_"Harry."_

_"My darling baby."_

_He gasped, suddenly crying._

_"I'm so proud of you, Harry."_

_"You've grown, my dear." Lily cried softly. She kissed his cheeks soundly and gave him another hug._

_"So ... Sirius, what do you think of my son?" James looked toward the side, at the black sheep of the Black family._

_"He's better than his father, James. And he is certainly prettier than his old man. Thank Merlin he takes on his mother more."_

_"Sirius!" James gave his best friend a sour look. He sighed and looked back at Harry, who stared at his parents, and guardian, in confusion. "You've grown into a splendid wizard, Harry. Although we weren't there to help you grow."_

'That's ... that's not true. You still did.' _He stared at his parents, though tears blurred his vision of their features._ 'I love you,' _he blurted out._

_"We know, dear. And we love you, so very much."_

_His father's hand patted his head. "We have to go soon, Harry."_

'Where are you going?' _Harry grew alarmed. _'Don't leave me.'

_Lily shook her head and caressed his cheek. "You can't come with us, Harry."_

'But aren't I–'

_"You're not dead, lad," Sirius interjected. "You can't follow us. Think about those people you'd be leaving behind. Hermione, Ron ... that greasy bastard..."_

_"Sirius." Lily frowned at him. "It is not your time."_

_Harry looked at his father. James' appeared troubled, as though he had some misgivings over something._

'I'm sorry.'

_"What are you apologizing for, son?" James shook his head and smiled ruefully. "I cannot say that I like the idea that you love Severus Snape. But he returns your love. That is all that matters."_

_His dream world quivered suddenly. Harry knew that this dream would be over soon, and quickly hugged his parents, and Sirius for the last time._

'Sirius, your brother Regulus...'

_"I know. I hope to find him later." Sirius smiled._

_"Harry." An old voice reached his ears._

_"Professor! You're late!" Lily said admonishingly._

_"I know, and I humbly beg your pardon. I got lost wandering around trying to find the right subconscious mind." A pair of azure, blue eyes twinkled merrily. Albus Dumbledore surveyed his surroundings and quipped, "Well, it seems that I have to hurry."_

_The old wizard laid his hand on Harry's temple. Within those few seconds, Harry learned how to remove a coercion spell. It was also within those few seconds, that he understood why Severus had hated the old professor._

_"Severus knew that it had been necessary. But that was in the past. He doesn't need that oath hanging over his head any further." Dumbledore took a deep breath and wore his cheerful mien once more. "Please take care of dissolving that curse for me, and tell Severus I'd said 'Hello'. Oh, and Fawkes. He'll be coming along to choose his new master, so warn our dear Severus not to be too surprised when he comes."_

_His dream world jiggled vigorously that everything seemed distorted._

_"And now it's time for you to wake up, Harry..."_

"...be fine. He hasn't sustained any grave injuries."

Harry could hear voices around him, and he could feel someone bandaging up his hand.

"Now, please let the young man rest. He will be all right, as long as he doesn't try to light up a candle for the next few days. He is merely suffering the consequences of unleashing too much magic and performing more than what his body was able to handle. Do ensure this ... he may fall into a coma if he tries."

"Madame!" someone called urgently.

"Bring him over to Guilbert immediately. He is the best when it comes to internal injuries." The gentle hand that had wrapped up his arm left him, and Harry felt the space that the person had vacated occupied by someone else.

Tiredly, he opened his eyes. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the light, and for him to make sense of his surroundings. _In a tent ... a healer's tent, _he thought. A shadow passed over his face, and seconds later, he felt fingers thread through his hair gently. Green eyes moved and finally saw Severus, who sat on the edge of the cot.

"Seems like I'm at the receiving end this time," Harry said jokingly after studying Severus' calm face.

"You damned ... foolish brat," Severus muttered.

"Perhaps." He smiled crookedly. Then he grimaced when his temples pounded suddenly. "Damn it. Blasted headache."

"What did you expect after releasing so much magic?"

Harry lifted his left hand and grasped the fingers combing his hair. "Is everyone all right?" He studied the older man's face. The pair of obsidian eyes gazed sadly at him.

"Professor McGonagall's heart gave out after she took on too many Stunners," Severus spoke slowly, as though he had been reluctant to tell Harry.

"What?" Grief suddenly overwhelmed him.

"Alastor Moody went down with the Hebridean Black." Severus continued to speak, telling Harry of the persons who had been killed in the final battle. Excepting Professor McGonagall and Moody, the other victims he had known but had not been close with. Finally, Severus stopped reciting, and tenderly, he wiped the tears away from Harry's face.

"Ron? Hermione?" he asked in a raspy voice.

"They are in the next tent. Weasley is unconscious due to exhaustion. The healers are trying to retrieve a shard that had pierced Granger's left eye, but her condition is stable." Severus stared seriously at him. "When you are well enough, you should have a talk with Weasley. He had killed for the first time."

"But..."

"Although that task would be better left in the hands of someone older and had as much experience..." Severus fell into an awkward silence.

"Is Malfoy all right?"

"I doubt his Weasley lover would let someone else's shadow fall over him. He had protected Draco well. Although I do not think Draco appreciated having to work far from the battlefield."

Harry smiled crookedly. "And you?"

"I'll live."

Severus leaned over and kissed him chastely on the lips, much to his pleasant surprise. Harry kept his eyes shut when they parted. He wondered what warranted such tender behavior from Severus, that he would do something like this where others were present. As his blush grew hotter, he heard the hushed whispers from the other end. He felt Severus' smile as he planted kisses along his jaw, his cheek, and finally his temple.

_"...take care of..." _The ghostly voice in his head jolted him. Black eyes looked at him inquiringly.

"Professor Dumbledore had said 'hello'," Harry said quietly and waited. Severus merely stared at him. "He had also asked me to warn you that Fawkes is going to choose you as his new keeper."

"_What_?" Severus paled and attempted to back away from Harry. He could not, as Harry was holding on to his arm tight.

"He had also passed on the key to remove the spell that he had placed on you when you had become the Potions master of Hogwarts." He smiled with sympathy at the expression on his lover's face, which looked torn between disbelief and hope. "I can remove it now if you want."

Within an instant, Severus' mercurially changed expressions. Harry found himself trapped by the dark, fierce gaze.

"No," Severus said firmly. "I have waited for over two decades. I can wait for another week." The wizard cupped his face. "And you will not do any magic without my permission for the next several days."

"I don't think I can promise you that, Severus," Harry said with a faint smile. "It's not over yet. We still have much to clean up."

"I will stay with you, and take care of it for you," Severus said with finality.

Harry felt happy, and nodded. "Thank you." He did not take his eyes off Severus' face. _I'd told you I'd be patient with you. But knowing that you care for me, it makes me happy. _"I love you."

"I know," Severus murmured, sweeping his thumb along his cheek.

**-oOOoOOo-  
THE END  
-oOOoOOo-**

Firesword: Thank you so much for reading 'Irrevocable Oath'. Sadly, it has to end here. Hehehe. I have a small sequel coming up soon. Hopefully.**  
**


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